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The seasons are changing, habits are altering and all sorts of important dates are on the way but, for many reasons, autumn can sometimes be a tough time for dogs. One reason the time of year can be uncomfortable for them is due tofireworks, with the letting off of pyrotechnic devices set to become a regular occurence over the next few weeks.

However, one vet has issued urgent expert adviceto pet owners, as he said they need to act now if they want to prevent their dogs from being afraid of fireworks. Ben, known as ben.the.vet onTikTok, said you can't wait until November to worry about the potential issue.

If your pooch has a fear of fireworks, there are actually steps you can take now to help your dog feel safer. You may not realise it, but there are simple ways you can support your dogs ahead of Bonfire Night.

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Ben said: "If your dog has a fear of fireworks, don't wait unitl November 4 to do something about it. Now is the time that you should be trying to desensitise them to firework sounds.

"You can do this if you have a puppy as well, who's never experienced the sound of fireworks, because it's something that most dogs find inherently scary. You can do this using the 'Sounds Scary' playlist, which is available for free on the Dogs Trust website, and it's a playlist of different tracks of fireworks noises.

"Some of them are whistles and whooshes, some of them are bangs or combinations of firework sounds, and there's a really helpful, detailed guide available on the website explaining how to use the sounds. The general idea is that you initially try to desensitise your dog so, pick a room that they spend a lot of time in where they relax in the house, put some speakers in there and initially start playing these firework sounds very quietly, slowly increasing the volume, so you do it mutliple times a day."

If your dog shows any signs of fear response, he said you should stop; however, the idea behind it is you can get to a point where the noises are louder and louder, and your dog becomes used to hearing them. He did note you have to be really careful not to sensitise them to fireworks though so, if your pooch starts showing an obvious fear response, you do need to turn the volume down.

He said, if this happens, and you continue to play the sounds, then you're just going to reinforce that fear. If it works, you need to then counter condition your dog, which he said is all explained in the guide online.

Ben said this involves helping your pet have a positive association with fireworks, such as associating them with treats or playing a game. He did point out that, if your dog is particularly afraid, and shows signs of stress hours aftering hearing firework noises, then the process isn't likely to work.

Sometimes dogs may need professional help from a behaviourist to try and get over the issue. This can be required in certain cases.

The video has been viewed hundreds of times since it was shared, and people were quick to comment too. They had all sorts of different views.

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One said: "I put firework displays on YouTube and increased the volume. To this day, she is simply not bothered about fireworks." Another added: "So good to see someone actually talking about this from a training perspective."

A third had different ideas though, writing: "Sadly, this doesn't work for many dogs. I could play it at full volume and my dog would not react at all; however, the real thing terrifies her."

Meanwhile, a fourth also commented: "We've been doing this since our pup came home in May, along with city sounds and construction noises. He sleeps through almost anything now."

The Dogs Trust website states: "Dogs that are safely and gradually exposed to many different experiences, including loud noises, during their essential socialisation period of three to 16 weeks of age, are often able to cope more effectively with loud, frightening sounds like fireworks or loud engine noises.

"Our sound-based treatment programmes were developed by two veterinary surgeons specialising in the field of pet behavioural therapy. All our resources have been scientifically researched and come with a full set of instructions, which makes them easy to use and extremely effective.

"Each sound resource is paired with a corresponding how-to guide and contains a collection of specifically recorded noises that all puppies need to get used to, including domestic noises, traffic, fireworks and thunder." More information can be found at the website.